Carburetor or the like



Feb. 16, 1937. R. w. LITZINGER 2,070,992

CARBURETOR O R THE LIKE Filed May 26, 1934 Patented Feb. 16, 1937 UNITED STATES PATsNT oFFlcE CARBURETOR on THE LIKE Raymond W. Litzinger, Pittsburgh, Pa., assignor of twenty-live percent to Lee C. Newsome, Minneapolis, Minn., and twenty-dive percent to Richard H. Newsome, Bellevue, Pa;

Application May 26, 1934, Serial No. 727,709

l Claims.

l0t for the purpose.

I provide a simple, convenient, inexpensive, and efficient form of carburetor which may be employed for the production of a gaseous int flammable mixture suitable for lighting and i heating purposes, and it may also be used for supplying a fuel mixture to internal combustion engines. Likewise it is applicable to other purposes where an intimate mixture of a volatile liquid and a gas is to be produced.

In the drawing,

Figure l shows a cross section of my device;

Figure 2 shows a plan view with the top removed;

Figure 3 is a section along the line III-III of 25" Figure 2 with the top in position; and

of the receptacle.

Figure 4 kis a view in perspective of a beater employed in the apparatus.

The carburetor in general comprises a sheet metal reservoir or receptacle 2 for the volatile liquid to be evaporated, the receptacle beingV preferably elongated and at, of substantially rectangular shape, and provided with a tightly tting top platey or cover 3 having a flange 4 to closely fit over the sides and ends of the receptacle. The top 3 may be secured in place by soldering or welding or it may be made so that it is held in place by friction.

From one end of the reservoir or casing 2, an inlet pipe 5, having a valve 6, projects. This pipe connects to a source of air pressure (not shown) Surrounding the intake is a baille 'I of sheet metal which is secured to the end wall of the receptacle and contacts the top plate 3 and terminates a short distance from the bottom Any air admitted through pipe 5 must pass around the bottom of this baffle.

Arranged in vertical position in the receptacle at suitable spaced positions, are a plurality of partitions 8 of thin sheets of pumice stone or similar material, preferably of a non-fibrous, ceramic, or earthen character, having very ne pores therethrough. I have found that partitions made out of thin sheets of pumice stone serve to break up the tiny globules of liquid. At the same time, the air is separatedY into tiny streams in forcing its way through vthe pumice. This brings the air and the broken-down globules of liquid into intimate contact, giving a complete and thorough diffusion with the result that the gas issuing from an apparatus in which such a'lter or partition is used is an extremely dry Agas and one that has. superior qualities. The margin of these partitions contact the top and side walls of the reservoir so as to be air tight. 'I'he par` titions 8 have portions 9j cut away from the bottom (see Figure 3) so that passages are provided beneath the lower edges of the partition and the bottom of the receptacle.

Spaced between the partitions 8 are partitions or Wicks I!) of absorbent material such as ordinary cotton wicking supported on a metal frame. These partitions contact the side walls and top of the reservoir and extend almost to the bottom of the receptacle. Mounted on the sides of the reservoir are a series of beaters II, one for each of the absorbent partitions I 0. AThe beaters are located to the side of the partition nearest the inlet pipe and near the top ofthe receptacle. These beaters I I are formed of thin sheet material I2 and have a wire I3 extending along the sides and bottom, the ends of the wire I4 being shaped to form journals which hinge on the side wall of then receptacle. The air passing through` the receptacle 'causes the beaters to strike against the adjacent absorbent partitions and causes any drops of liquid which have accumulated thereon to be jarred off. A baille I5y of sheet material is provided adjacent the vaporv outlet I6 to prevent direct entrance of the vapor. The vapor outlet pipe or discharge pipe I6 leads to the point where the gas is to be used and has therein a control valve I'I.

On one side of the device and preferably near the inlet end, a filling device I8 is provided for keeping the receptacle supplied with a volatile fluid. The filling device or fuel tank I8 connects with the receptacle through a pipe I9, the outlet of which terminates in the receptacle 2 at the level at which it is desired to maintain the fluid therein.

In the operation of the apparatus, the receptacle is supplied with uid until the absorbent wicks I0 are saturated and the liquid assumes the predetermined level. As long as it is desired to generate gas, air is introduced through the inlet pipe 5 and allowed to pass through the receptacle, as shown by the arrows in Figure 1, and is led to the desired point by discharge pipe I6. The air from the inlet pipe will follow the thel receptacle from `reservoir the saturated Wicks I and through the porous partitions 8 and will become charged with the evaporated liquid and will finally pass around the baflie I through the discharge pipe I6 and thence to the point at which it is. desired to use the gas.

While the current of air is passing through the receptacle, the beaters Il are moved into contact with the Wicks l0, thereby jolting them so as to remove any excess fluid from the wicks, retard the coalescence of drops, and-destroy such drops of volatile iiuid that may form on the surfaces thereof. Instead of using air pressure from the inlet pipe, it is possible to operate the apparatus by suction applied to the discharge pipe. This is of advantage when the apparatus is used in connection with an internal combustion engine.

As the liquid carried by the absorbent wicks I is evaporated, the liquid in the receptacle '2 will keep the wicks saturated by `capillary attraction. As the level'of the liquid in the receptacle is lowered, a fresh supply will now into I' through pipe t9. The apparatus is thusa'utomatically supplieclwithfluidv in exact proportion to the amount evaporated fand due to capillaryattraction and the action* of the beaters Il, the absorbent wicks will be vkept at auniform degree Vof saturation so that va gaseous mixture of uniform richness will be producedand the apparatus willifunction without any further supervision.

While I have described the `apparatus as suitable for use withair, itis obvious that other fluids may be used instead of air. The term air has been vemployed as a convenient term ofv expression and is not intended to limit the use of thisl invention to the employment of air only, as any ldesired gaseous medium is contemplated. VMy invention provides a convenient, safe, inexpensive, and durable'apparatus lfor enriching a Vgas with desired vapors and will and can be used to great advantage wherever a supply of gas of uniform richness Yand superior qualities is desired.

'I claim:

1. In a carburetor, an'enclosed' receptacle for afvolatile liquid, 'an air inlet, a vapor outlet, a plurality of transverse partitions of absorbent material'extend'ing Ainto'theliquid, a transverse .partition of pumice stone, succeeding the partitions-of absorbent-material and meansV adjacent the air inlet whereby incoming air is passed beneath the surface of the liquid, said pumice stone partition extending into the liquid.

2. In a carburetor, an enclosed `receptacle for a volatile liquid, an air inlet, a vapor outlet, a plurality of transverse partitions of absorbent material extending into the liquid and av plurality of partitions of 'pumice st one, one of said last mentioned partitions being located adjacent the vapor outlet.

3. In a carburetor, a reservoir for holding .volatile liquid, an .air inlet, `a vapor outlet, a plurality of transverse partitions of absorbent material extendingpart way into the liquid, and

paths shown by the arrows in Figure 1 through a beater adjacent each of said transverse partitions.

.4. In a carburetor, a reservoir for holding volatile liquid, an air inlet, a vapor outlet, a plurality of transverse partitions of absorbent maferial extending part way into the liquid, a beater adjacent each of said transverse partitions, and a transverse partition having very fine openings therethrough.

5. Apparatus of the class described, comprising an enclosed receptacle, an inlet at one end thereof, andan outlet at the other end thereof, and a succession of transverse partitions in the receptacle between the inlet and the outlet, some of the partitions being of a fibrous absorbent `nature and others being of a porous stone-like .of partitions of pumice stone, one of said last mentioned-partitionsbeing located adjacent the vapor outlet, and a baffle adjacent the vapor outlet.

V7.1A carburetor, vcomprising "an air inlet, a receptacle having therein a layer fof Vvolatile liquid, apartitionfof pumice stone whereby the gas is broken up into finely divided particles, and means adjacent the air inlet1Whereby-the incoming `air is passed 'beneath the surface of the liquid.

8. In a carburetor, a reservoir for holding volatile liquid, an air inlet, a vapor outlet, a plurality-of Itransverse parti-tions of' absorbent material extending part way into the liquid, abeater adjacent each of said transverse partitions, 'and a baflie'adjacent 'the vapor outlet.

9. Apparatus ofthe` class described, comprisi'ng'an enclosed receptacle, 'an Vinlet at one end thereof, and an outlet atfthefother'end thereof, avsuccession of transversepartitions in the receptacle between thei'nlet andthe outlet, some of Ythe partitions being of a fibrous absorbent nature and -others being of a porous stone-like character, the'lastparti'tion ofthe series nearest the outlet'being of the latter type, and la beater adjacent each of said fibrous partitions.

10. Apparatus of the class described, comprising an enclosed receptacle'having separated air inlet and vapor outlet passages tothe liquid in the receptacle, spaced --apart partitions disposed between -theinlet rand voutlet passages and extending below the level lof the liquid for successively breaking up the air into irregular and indeterminate tiny streams, an absorbent element of a wick-like character arranged between said partitions, and means-adjacent the air inlet whereby the incoming air is `caused to pass beneath the surface ofthe liquid.

RAYMOND W. LrrzINGEa 

